In an effort to expand their commitment to sustainability, Specsavers Australia New Zealand has promoted Cathy Rennie Matos to the newly created role of Head of Sustainability ANZ. Cathy has been with Specsavers since 2017, bringing over 20 years of PR, Marketing and CSR experience from in-house roles at various retailers to her new Specsavers position.
What does Cathy bring to Specsavers in the role?
As the previous Head of Public Relations ANZ for five and half years, Cathy was vital in driving the purpose of the firm, managing the Specsavers Community Program and strengthening partnerships with The Fred Hollows Foundation and The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ, working on a shared value partnership and strategy to address key gaps in the delivery of eye health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia and Pacific Islanders in Fiji.
She’s also oversaw the roll out of the region’s glasses recycling program in partnership with Lions Recycle for Sight and the relaunch of the company’s Workplace Giving and Volunteering programs. Prior to Specsavers, Cathy Rennie Matos was at The Good Guys where she spent 7 years as Marketing Services Manager and PR & Cause Manager, during which time she was pivotal in delivering Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives to grow shareholder value.
Cathy has also previously led the marketing and communications teams at Blockbuster as Senior Marketing Manager and ChoicesUK as Group Marketing Manager. Specsavers has been working behind the scenes to set a clear vision for their sustainability journey, focusing on how they change lives beyond just sight and hearing by having a positive impact on the lives of people they work with, the communities they serve and the planet we all share.
What does the appointment mean for Specsavers?
Specsavers has made a commitment to challenge themselves and be courageous in co-creating ambitions with huge opportunities to create sustainable value across the company. They are making changes to the way they operate to ensure they achieve net-zero carbon by 2050 at the latest and reduce the environmental impact of their material consumption.
They’re working to make eye and hearing care services available for those most in need; and creating an even more inclusive workplace where everyone feels proud to belong and team members are empowered to make a difference and live and work more sustainably.
Cathy’s dedicated role will oversee the delivery of Specsavers’ sustainability programs for ANZ, driving change across the region and embedding sustainability within business practices locally. Cathy is eager to bring her experience to help Specsavers achieve its ambitions.
